People Moves of the Week: Breakwater Investment, CIT, Environmental Resources

Breakwater Investment Management LLC — The Los Angeles investment firm has tapped Asteria Lumanau, a bankruptcy specialist who recently worked at KPMG LLP. Before that, she worked within Credit Suisse’s investment banking division, also in Los Angeles, and at Striker Partners, a lower middle-market private equity firm in Philadelphia.

CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) — The New York financial services firm appointed managing director William Douglass to oversee CIT’s financing and advisory activities in the health care sector. This includes all asset-based loan, real estate financing and M&A advisory service activty. A 20-year banking veteran, Douglass joined CIT in 2009. Before that, he spent 10 years with Citigroup (NYSE: C), where he focused on middle-market leveraged lending and junior debt. During that time, Douglass worked within the special situations group from 2005 to 2008.

Environmental Resources Management — The New York consulting firm promoted Simon Mendum to partner. Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Mendum will oversee the transaction services group, which conducts environmental health and safety due diligence on M&A transactions. Prior to joining Environmental Resources in 2008, he was with GaiaTech Inc. from November 2000 to March 2008.

Houlihan Lokey — The investment bank hired L. Gregory Manos for the firm's tax segment in the Los Angeles headquarters. He joins from Alvarez & Marsal, also in Los Angeles, where he was a senior director in the valuation services group, advising a range of local clients in the energy and utilities market. Before that, he held a senior role at Ernst & Young, advising various energy companies on valuation and corporate finance matters.

Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP — James Black has joined the Washington, D.C., law firm as a partner. Black’s practice, which focuses on advising non-U.S. companies, will be used in the corporate and international group for clients based in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Prior to joining Smith Gambrell & Russell, Black worked for international law firms in Frankfurt, Germany, and, prior to that, was a Robert Bosch Fellow in Berlin.

Venable LLP— Attorney Eric Berman has joined the Washington, D.C., law firm as counsel. He arrives from Williams Mullen, where he chaired the antitrust and trade regulation practice. Berman is expected to bring antitrust expertise to Venable, which often represents health care and pharmaceutical companies.